felt

noun \ ˈfelt \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of felt

1 a : a cloth made of wool and fur often mixed with natural or synthetic fibers through the action of heat, moisture, chemicals, and pressure

b : a firm woven cloth of wool or cotton heavily napped and shrunk

2 : an article made of felt

3 : a material resembling felt: such as

a : a heavy paper of organic or asbestos fibers impregnated with asphalt and used in building construction

b : semirigid pressed fiber insulation used in building

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feltlike

adjective

See felt defined for English-language learners

See felt defined for kids

Examples of felt in a Sentence

She made her son's costume from scraps of felt.

Recent Examples of felt from the Web

The other context clues are simple, and vague: a white marley floor, two chairs, several bolts of stiff felt.

— lauren warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "'In a Rhythm': Choreographer Bebe Miller talks a lot, the music includes a Nelly hit — it's a fascinating, atypical approach to dance," 6 Apr. 2018
Metal and plastic Monopoly tokens are swapped with felt cutouts and fuzzy balls.

— adi robertson, The Verge, "A Quiet Place blends horror and drama in a silent world," 5 Apr. 2018
Markus Brunetti’s enormous photographs pack a healthy jolt of wonder, something more likely felt in the 19th century, when the medium was invented.

— roberta smith, New York Times, "Viewing Europe’s Houses of Worship in Wild Detail," 4 Apr. 2018
Walking in felt like a breath of fresh air: tall ceilings, molding, window trim, baseboards, and, above all, great proportions.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "I watched ‘Fixer Upper’ for the first time and this is what I thought," 4 Apr. 2018
In the music and the story, there is a common ground, less felt in the dancing, which seems to only scratch the surface.

— lauren warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "There's a fascinating story of crossing cultures at the center of 'Layla and Majnun,’ but the dance doesn’t go far enough," 17 Mar. 2018
Picture this: a small, asymmetrical object made of felt, standing on three pencil-thin legs.

— robert steiner, BostonGlobe.com, "Scholastic Art & Writing winners explore imagination — and the world," 16 Mar. 2018
Some viewers watching on felt less than amused by Perry’s advances.

— lars brandle, Billboard, "Katy Perry Floored an 'American Idol' Contestant With a Kiss: Watch," 12 Mar. 2018
An online supplement to the story shows Kroft taking Schmidt out to a busy Manhattan intersection and asking him if felt threatened without his gun.

— bruce vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tim Schmidt of West Bend-based CCW group appears on 60 Minutes," 12 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'felt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of felt

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German filz felt, Latin pellere to drive, beat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

felt

verb

Definition of felt

transitive verb

1 : to make out of or cover with felt

2 : to cause to adhere and mat together

3 : to make into felt or a similar substance

Recent Examples of felt from the Web

Bynder, a brand management company with offices in Fort Point, has devoted a big area to a pool table felted in the light blue color of the company’s logo.

— andy rosen, BostonGlobe.com, "Not your parents’ office? Now it is: Tech workspaces start to grow up," 5 Apr. 2018
Coming to felt like swimming up from the depths of a murky pond.

— lana hoch, Marie Claire, "I Cheated on My Boyfriend with My Rapist," 2 Feb. 2018
These fun felted wool bunnies are available sitting, lying on their backs, or holding a basket.

— alejandra bennett, Sunset, "10 Easter Decorations with a Touch of Whimsy," 22 Jan. 2018
In a year where every aspect of our culture felt connected in ways that were either hard to understand or felt like a stretch, Browne got to the bottom of it all.

— Longreads, "Longreads Best of 2017: Sports Writing," 13 Dec. 2017
Four of the sources The Enquirer spoke to felt the delay, and ultimate improper handling of the final moments before 4 p.m., was due to a lack of a consensus between the personnel department and coaching staff in Cleveland regarding McCarron.

— jim owczarski, Cincinnati.com, "How the Cleveland Browns’ trade for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron fell apart," 1 Nov. 2017

First Known Use of felt

14th century

felt

Definition of felt

past tense and past participle of feel

FELT Defined for English Language Learners

felt

noun

Definition of felt for English Language Learners

: a soft, heavy cloth made by pressing together fibers of wool, cotton, or other materials

FELT Defined for Kids

felt

noun \ ˈfelt \

Definition of felt for Students

: a soft heavy cloth made by rolling and pressing fibers together

felt

Definition of felt for Students

past tense and past participle of feel

Medical Dictionary

felt

medical Definition of felt

past and past part of feel

Learn More about felt

See words that rhyme with felt Spanish Central: Translation of felt Nglish: Translation of felt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of felt for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about felt

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felt

Definition of felt

feltlike

Examples of felt in a Sentence

Recent Examples of felt from the Web

Origin and Etymology of felt

felt

Definition of felt

Recent Examples of felt from the Web

First Known Use of felt

felt

Definition of felt

FELT Defined for English Language Learners

felt

Definition of felt for English Language Learners

FELT Defined for Kids

felt

Definition of felt for Students

felt

Definition of felt for Students

Medical Dictionary

felt

medical Definition of felt

Learn More about felt

Seen and Heard

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